Facebook is pushing 'reactions' over 'likes' (FB)

BI Intelligence

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence "Digital Media Briefing" subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here.

Facebook is updating their Newsfeed algorithm to prioritize “reactions” over “likes,” according to Digital Trends.

Last year, Facebook added five reactions — love, haha, wow, sad and angry — as alternatives to the thumbs-up like button.

Since the launch, reactions have been used over 300 billion times, with “love” being the most common of the bunch, accounting for over half. The reason behind the algorithm update is that users care more about stories they react than stories they like, and are more engaged with that type of content, so Facebook wants to display these posts more prominently the Newsfeed. The update has several important implications for users and advertisers alike:

• It takes a longer amount of time to “react” than to “like.” On mobile, users need to hold down the like button to access the other five reaction options, Facebook interprets this as higher engagement or interest in a particular piece of content. In the infinite abyss of Newsfeed scrolling, these few extra seconds help gauge interest in certain posts and topics.
• Reactions are equally weighed. Facebook isn’t taking into account the type of reactions — whether happy or sad — when prioritizing content in the Newsfeed. For now, they’re all weighted the same. The mere fact that a user reacts, no matter what reaction, is an indication that the type of story is more meaningful than a casual like. This is also encouraging as Facebook won’t overload a Newsfeed based on one emotional response, but a combination of all five options. 
• Users may be more cautious about what they react to. Users may be increasingly wary of posts they react to, and a surge in these types of stories can induce the “creepy” factor historically associated with Facebook’s Newsfeed. Alternatively, users may be comfortable with the social bubble filtered and curated by Facebook, which could help increase user engagement.
• Advertisers can potentially cash in our emotions. While Facebook did not indicate whether advertisers can target users based on what they react to, the feature is probably in the works. Providing deeper insights into a user’s emotional response is much more valuable that casual like, and has the potential to drive high returns on ad spend. Tapping into emotions may seem creepy and a violation of privacy, but Facebook users offer up this data willingly, and Facebook may be able to use it to build out new ad products.
• But there could be some backlash if used for advertising. Last year, Belgian police urged residents not to use Facebook reactions to avoid aggressive ad targeting. The police argued that if a user appears to be in good spirits, then Facebook will infer they are more likely to click on an ad and buy something.

To receive stories like this one directly to your inbox every morning, sign up for the Digital Media Briefing newsletter. Click here to learn more about how you can gain risk-free access today.